A Pennsylvania State Police trooper who dedicated nearly two decades to protecting the public was killed while performing a commercial vehicle inspection after a tractor-trailer left the roadway and struck him. Federal officials later confirmed that the truck driver had remained in the United States after receiving an order to leave the country, adding a new dimension to an already heartbreaking case.
The fatal crash occurred during the morning hours of July 1 along Interstate 81 Southbound near mile marker 119.3 in Cass Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Trooper Michael E. Pahira Jr., 44, was conducting a routine commercial motor vehicle inspection while assigned to the Pennsylvania State Police’s Motor Carrier Enforcement unit.
According to state officials, Pahira was positioned near the cab of a stopped semi-truck on the highway shoulder. His marked patrol vehicle was parked behind the truck with its emergency lights activated, providing warning to approaching motorists as the inspection was underway.
